https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2022/07/afge-will-split-its-ice-union-over-ideological-divide/374238/, Center for Homeland Security & Immigration. https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=813655&rptForm=LM2Form. https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=810943&rptForm=LM2Form. Dinan, S. (2022b, August 11). The Extent of AFGEs Alleged Corruption was Not Comprehensively Investigated. AFGE officer elections also suffer from a surprising number of irregularities. (n.d.). Evidence supports his claims. U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider told CNBC that the automaker and the UAW's Ford unit remain targets in the probe, which initially startedwith Fiat Chrysler and its union counterpart. Kabir believes this was retaliation for rejecting Coxs sexual advances. June. How credible are the three sexual harassment complaints allegedly lodged against Everett Kelley? A long-running feud has broken into open confrontation. Here's the (Working IDEAL, 2020, p. 14). Pam (Baca) Espinoza alleges that AFGEs national leadership retaliated against her opposition to Cox and Kelley at the unions 2018 National Convention by consolidating Local 1802which she ledinto a new local, depriving her of her leadership position (, Bastani was a high-profile critic of Cox within AFGE, running against him in the unions 2012 and 2015 presidential elections. Allegedly, Cox began by asking inappropriate sexual questions. No. [13] AFGE claimed a message Hudson sent after the 2016 election warning about the incoming Trump Administration violated the Hatch Act and put AFGE members in legal jeopardy (Cox, 2017; Hudson v. Am. Did AFGE staff collude with Federal Labor Relations Authority employees to withdraw certification from the ICE Council unusually quickly? Hudson v. American Federation of Government Employees. The claims from Yevgeny V. Prigozhin including a veiled threat of an uprising against Russia, prompted the F.S.B. Paris 2024 chief defends organization amid investigation into claims of Similarly, the investigators simply noted that there are conflicting accounts about what AFGE senior staff, such as Jacque Simon, knew about Coxs conduct towards Kabir (. The lawsuit alleges that Borer did not do so. [6] Expressed as a rate, (convictions per 100,000 members) AFGEs corruption exceeds all other unions. AFGEs alleged corruption warrants investigation for the benefit of the unions membership and the larger public. (2017, July 19). 500-002. Does any evidence suggest AFGE disclaimed interest in representing ICE employees in retaliation for the ICE Council requesting the Labor Department investigate corruption in AFGE National? International Corruption Hunters Alliance - World Bank Group 2022 criminal enforcement actions. (2022c, 29 March). A year laterin August 2017the AFGE NEC overwhelmingly voted to remove Hudson from office. Compl., 2020, 168). ). Under AFGEs constitution the NST becomes president when the office becomes vacant. (2022d, Nov. 8). [12] The NST was only left with authority over the presidents expense vouchers, but not for any other NEC members. An AFGE Trustee testified that this behavior led her to remove Dukes from his position and that she forwarded Kelley the pictures Dukes had sent. Simon remains AFGEs Public Policy Director earning a salary of $191,000 a year (Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2022a). What about consolidating locals to eliminate political rivals? U.S. Office of Personnel Management, n.d. AFGE represents 775,000 of the federal governments 1.22 million unionized employees. Financial disclosure reports filed with the U.S. Department of Labor show that the Steelworkers represent 516,000 workers (, Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2022c. AFGE responded by disclaiming interest in representing ICE employees. These figures were revealed through a Freedom of Information Act request for OLMS convictions. This would cost John Doe #1 the job that was the sole source of income for his wife, their six children, and himself. The considerable economic and political influence exercised by labor unions provoked concern in the business community and in Congress. These allegations are outside the specific scope of this report, which focuses on Coxs conduct (Working IDEAL, 2020, p. 19). The Office of Special Counsel formally determined that Hudsons message did not violate the Hatch Act (, ). The involvement of a member or associate of a traditional or non-traditional organized crime family or group, or a subject with a felony criminal history in a union. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. [9] Recent revelations also suggest that AFGEs corruption problems extend to the unions national leadership. One of the purported criminals was the sister of IAM Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes. He says the Hatch Act claims were pretextual. Sep. 1, 2021). Although immediate effects of the federal departure will be largely symbolic, it opens the door to potentially significant adjustments in how the Teamsters union investigates . - The use of a union, benefit plan (i.e. The extent of AFGE's alleged corruption needs to be comprehensively investigated. The Office of Special Counsel formally determined that Hudsons message did not violate the Hatch Act (Hamrick, 2017). Instead, Borer allegedly spoke to Cox about the incident and conducted no further investigation until the news reports compelled AFGE to commission the external investigation (, Kabir reports he told AFGE Executive Secretary Denene Colbert about Coxs actions, but she took no action (, ). TheICE Counciland its Locals allege thatAFGEis stealing, wasting, grossly mismanaging, and engaging in illegal acts with its memberships money. ", Ford, in a statement, said: "As always, we would cooperate with any inquires." 501). Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld that verdict (Hudson v. American Federation of Government Employees, 2022). Harassment, culture of fear flourished at federal workers union, staff say. (D.D.C. The extent of AFGEs alleged corruption needs to be comprehensively investi-gated. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. 19-2738 (JEB) (D.D.C. U.S. Department of Labor. Most of Hudsons charges have similarly been dismissed, aside from his claim that AFGE racially discriminated against him (. 21-7133 (D.C. Cir. The labor movement is nothing but the sum of its many partsmillions of working Americans whove entrusted union leaders to spend a portion of their hard earned salary for the benefit of the collective good. A UAW spokesman declined to comment, citing the union has agreed to not speak about the discussions. The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) administers provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), which promotes labor-management transparency by making available reports showing unions' financial condition and employer expenditures for their activities in persuading workers during union organizing campaigns. Cox resigns as AFGE president amid controversy. The only complaints the Court allowed to proceed against AFGE were Kabirs charges of a racially hostile working environment and Johnsons charge that her firing was racially motivated. An investigation by the bank substantiated that claim. 14 December 2020 In a deal worked out between federal prosecutors and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, the Justice Department said it would wind up its more than five-year investigation of. The WHO revenue in 2016-2017 was $5, 139 Billion, of which only $927 million came from assessed contributions by . The investigators also concluded that Kabirs complaints were credible and supported by substantial evidence (Working IDEAL, 2020, p. 5). Rocky Kabir, Coxs confidential secretary, witnessed these events. Cox allegedly had Kabir travel with him to strip clubs, directed him to procure male prostitutes, told him to watch Cox have sex with male prostitutes, and frequently sexually propositioned Kabir. Civil Action 20-1558 (JDB), (D.D.C. Fedn of Govt Emps Second Amended Complaint, 2020, 774). Cox later kissed John Doe #1 on the mouth without his consent (Doe #1 v. Am. The Court allowed some plaintiffs to sue Cox in his personal capacity but held that AFGE was not institutionally liable for most of his conduct. [9] This figure represents the number of AFGE locals that AFGE National placed into trusteeship between May 10, 2012, and May 10, 2022, on the basis of corruption or financial malpractice. The Department of Labor makes these reports available online (Office of Labor-Management Standards, n.d.). All previous defendants, including three Fiat Chrysler executives and Williams' successor, Gary Jones, have pleaded guilty. How much (if any) did AFGE pay to settle those alleged complaints? In 2016 Kelly recommended her for another promotion to a position paying $88,000 a year. During this time, dozens of AFGE locals have been placed into trusteeship for corruption. The investigators did not examine John Doe #1s complaint and thus did not make any judgment as to whether those allegations were true or if Cox misused AFGE funds (, AFGE Leadership Allegedly Ignored, or in Some Cases, Covered Up Coxs Behavior. Did he, as alleged, admit to knowledge of Coxs sexual misdeeds? These included expanding reporting for smaller labor unions; requiring electronic filing; and changing the way that financial information is provided by, for example, requiring that unions disclose information on all services purchased for five thousand dollars or more. #views-exposed-form-manual-cloud-search-manual-cloud-search-results .form-actions{display:block;flex:1;} #tfa-entry-form .form-actions {justify-content:flex-start;} #node-agency-pages-layout-builder-form .form-actions {display:block;} #tfa-entry-form input {height:55px;} Under AFGEs constitution the NST becomes president when the office becomes vacant. The allegations against Coxallegations that lead directly to his resignationare highly disturbing. In June, Gamble met with Schneider about reforming the union, including possibly using an independent monitor. Doe #1 et al. .cd-main-content p, blockquote {margin-bottom:1em;} Federal court hands down a major conviction of corrupt union bosses Fedn of Govt Emps Second Amended Complaint, 2020, 175-177, 772-802). She subsequently learned the term was a racist code word for Simple-Minded Blacks (Doe #1 v. Am. Neither did he interview any of the affected employees, file a complaint about Coxs behavior, or take any disciplinary action. AFGE represents two-thirds of unionized federal employees (. Everett Kelly allegedly helped cover up Coxs harassment at the hotels. He alleges that Cox engaged in escalating sexually predatory behavior against him. Hudson Delivers Truth. (2022b, May 10). Fedn of Govt Emps, 2019, pp. Dozens of AFGE locals have been placed into trusteeship for corruption. Were AFGE NEC members or senior staff aware of this behavior? The lawsuit alleges that Borer did not do so. Right to Work Laws Protect Workers from Union Corruption How many of those complaints has AFGE National ignored or taken no substantive action on? (2017, Aug. 3). Oct. 28, 2022). organized crime groups infiltrate unions. The fourth ICHA meeting, co-hosted by the World Bank . SMS opt in will not be sold, rented, or shared. Pam (Baca) Espinosa has testified under oath that NVP and NEC member Gerald Swanke twice referred to African American AFGE officers as SMBs in her presenceonce to another NEC member at an NEC meeting. v. American Federation of Government Employees, Second Amended Complaint. These expenses included meals for spouses at an AFGE-sponsored trip to the Virgin Islands, jewelry purchased as gifts for AFGE staff, a $200 pen, $1,400 in clothing at Nordstrom, $800 in artwork purchased for home use, and extensive use of private limousine services after hours (Hudson, 2016; Doe #1 v. Am. Former AFGE District 5 Office Manager Andrea Bentley, former District 5 Office Manager Kathrina Suarez, and Local 4056 Secretary-Treasurer Martha Perez allegedly filed sexual harassment charges against Kelley when he was District 5 vice president. Many of the individuals who reportedly turned a blind eye to Coxs conduct remain high-ranking AFGE officials. He then became AFGEs president when Cox resigned in 2020 and was elected to a full term in 2022. Civil Action 20-1558 (JDB), (D.D.C. We want to hear from you. Baca testified that two NEC members told her at that time, Hudson has no idea what we have waiting for him (Hudson v. Am. In one case, Jamie Dukes, then the vice president for AFGE Local 2017, a unit representing civilian Army personnel within District 5allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct, including sending pictures of his genitals to a woman. 17-1867 (JEB) (D.D.C. An internal AFGE investigation found many of these allegations highly credible. DETROIT - A federal corruption probe into the United Auto Workers has led to an overhaul of the union's elections, potentially bringing an end to a more than 70-year leadership dynasty under . .manual-search ul.usa-list li {max-width:100%;} Politics latest: 'Late' NHS plan 'like pulling emergency ripcord Office of Labor-Management Standards. (2022, Jan. 20). In contrast to ignoring charges against AFGE national leadership and their allies, court filings document that AFGE has rigorously prosecuted charges against the incumbent leaderships political opponents. Oct. 28, 2022). Defendant Kelley responded that he had asked Cox about it; Cox denied it, and Kelley believed him. He was also ordered to pay $116,353 in restitution (, Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2022f, Tony J. Liesenfeld, former president and secretary-treasurer of AFGE Local 148 (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania), pleaded guilty to wire fraud. I contacted and filed complaints with the appropriate officials that were supposed to have my back. The AFGE-sponsored investigation focused only on allegations related to Coxs conduct, not misconduct they uncovered by other AFGE officials. Status data: employment cubes. Hudson, E. (2016, Aug. 23). .paragraph--type--html-table .ts-cell-content {max-width: 100%;} Over the past decade, 64 AFGE officers and employees were criminally convicted on federal union corruption charges, the second most of any union during this period (Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2022b). Schneider said companies and individuals can make that request to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In 2014 AFGE held an event at a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. AFGE showed no leniency and swiftly fired Johnson, despite her denying making the minor contribution. National Headquarters. (2022a, 31 March). The Labor Department investigated complaints that the trusteeship was not instituted for an allowable purpose but declared the investigation moot after AFGE lifted it (Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2019). And after his dramatic resignation, Lord Goldsmith has spoken out . When memberships dues money is available to [National Executive Council] members in furtherance of attending strip clubs, pursuing prostitutes, and funding unauthorized settlements involving their own misconduct, etc., it is evident that sufficient monetary protections and oversight are not in place atAFGE (Dinan, 2022a). https://www.dol.gov/agencies/olms/criminal-enforcement/2021. UAW union settles corruption probe with Justice Department - CNBC (2018, Aug. 15). Government Employees AFGE, AFL-CIO. Fedn of Govt Emps Amended Complaint, 2020, 669-670). The AFGE-sponsored investigation focused only on allegations related to Coxs conduct, not misconduct they uncovered by other AFGE officials. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/aug/11/biden-administration-abolishes-ice-labor-union/. Senior AFGE Officer Fired After Questioning Expenses, AFGE members elected Eugene Hudson, Jr., their national secretary treasurer (NST), in 2012 and reelected him in 2015. AFGE does not appear to have deeply investigated its internal corruption either. This alleged sexual abuse occurred in the limousine John Doe #1 drove and happened over the course of a decade. [23], ICE Council Dissolved After Requesting AFGE Investigation, In June 2022, the National ICE Council, an AFGE Council representing about 7,600 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees, filed a complaint against AFGE with the Department of Labor. Why was his assistants salary nearly tripled in the years immediately following the alleged Myrtle Beach incident? The woman allegedly complained to AFGE, sharing the pictures he sent. Pam (Baca) Espinoza testified in that litigation that there was a culture of complicity at AFGE because many NEC members, including NVP's [national vice president] Everett Kelley and Eric Bunn [now NST], Gerald Swanke, Arnold Scott and Augusta Thomas and AFGE headquarters staff were aware of J. David Cox's sexual misconduct, misspending of AFGE resources and bullying, and either enabled his misconduct or looked the other way (Doe #1 v. Am. She testified under oath that Everett Kelley told her the hotel nearly kicked the entire AFGE delegation out after Cox sexually harassed and attempted to touch a pool attendant inappropriately. Fiat Chrysler reconfirmed a previous statement that it firmly believes "it was a victim of illegal conduct by certain rogue individuals.". UAW Corruption Scandal Widens With Raids On Homes And Latest Arrest - NPR The financial categories and definitions remained the same, as did the level of required financial detail, except form reductions for smaller unions. v. American Federation of Government Employees, Complaint. Cox also appears to have spent AFGE funds lavishly on these private limousine services. Report Corruption As the Inspector General for the City of New York, the Department of Investigation roots out fraud, waste and corruption. [26] The Working IDEAL investigators confirmed AFGE staff were aware of some of Coxs behavior but concluded they did not find evidence that any senior leader knew the full scope of sexual misconduct and other inappropriate behavior listed above (2020, p. 18). Copeland had been promoted just weeks earlier. Allegedly, Cox began by asking inappropriate sexual questions. Fedn of Govt Emps Amended Complaint, 2020, 185-192). In early August 2016, AFGE transferred authority to approve NEC members expense vouchers from the NST to the president (Hudson, 2016; Doe #1 v. Am. The investigators did not examine Kelleys reported knowledge of the alleged San Juan hotel incident why he would continue to believe Coxs denials after two alleged incidents, the witness statement that Kelley admitted to knowing about Coxs behavior, or the large raises and promotions Kelleys assistant received after taking the Myrtle Beach complaint. [8] The Department of Labors Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) details many of these convictions: Over the past decade, 44 AFGE local unions have been placed in trusteeship because of corruption or financial malpractice. https://casetext.com/case/hudson-v-am-fedn-of-govt-emps-15. The Center for Union Facts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fights for transparency and accountability in Americas labor movement. James, Cox, and General Counsel Borer allegedly knew of these charges but took no action to investigate or otherwise resolve them. The Financial Investigations Division is a team of criminal investigators who partner with the Criminal Bureau prosecutors, State Police, victim witness advocates, and support staff from the White Collar and Public Integrity Division, the Enterprise, Major, and Cyber Crimes Division, and the Human Trafficking Division. These included expanding reporting for smaller labor unions; requiring electronic filing; and changing the way that financial information is provided by, for example, requiring that unions disclose information on all services purchased for five thousand dollars or more. An agency within the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution AveNW Thereafter Cox required John Doe #1 to drive him to strip clubs and join him inside. Sep. 12, 2021). Union Corruption | Ash Center ). https://www.dol.gov/agencies/olms/criminal-enforcement/2020. American Federation of Government Employees. (2022f, Oct. 13). The complaint asked the Labor Department to investigate this corruption and sought to separate the ICE council from AFGE. Office of Labor-Management Standards. This activity is commonly seen in industries Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' deceased CEO Sergio Marchionne (R) and United Auto Workers union President Dennis Williams shake hands during a news conference in Detroit, Sept. 15, 2015. Simon allegedly responded that Cox just needs some sex. Gerald Swanke. [4] 14.0 million workers report being members of a labor union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). It also occurs when Existing anti-corruption safeguards have proved inadequate. What did AFGE National Executive Council members and senior staff such as Jacque Simon and David Borer know about Coxs alleged misconduct? The extent of AFGEs corruption has not been comprehensively investigated. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf. The 11 months Spivey spent in prison are less than the 18-month median imprisonment length for 124 people in Michigan who have been sentenced to federal prison for bribery, corruption, extortion . AFGE accounted for 64 of those convictions. Fedn of Govt Emps, Second Am. AFGE Local 2431 President Lawrence Tomscha filed a written complaint with AFGEs National Executive Council in early 2018 objecting to Cox spending $90,000 in AFGE funds for personal limousine services the previous year (Doe #1 v. Am. The complaint accused AFGEs national leadership of corruption and mismanagement:[24]. False reports to ERISA plan such as underreporting true number of participants in remittances to plans. Compl., 2020, 515-518). AFGE employees and officers also testify that Cox regularly used racial and religious slurs. What complaints (if any) have been filed against other AFGE NEC members and senior staff? He was sentenced on October 1, 2020, to 15 months of home incarceration, four years of probation, and 250 hours of community service. Civil Action 20-1558 (JDB), (D.D.C. [18] In addition to allegations that Kelley helped cover up Coxs corruption, Kelley has also been accused of misconduct in his own right. AFGE allegedly settled those charges with confidential nondisclosure agreements that prevented Bentley, Suarez, and Perez from speaking publicly about Kelleys conduct (Doe #1 v. Am. Sep. 21, 2020). A Division of NBCUniversal. the form of collusive arrangements between union officials and employers that occur at the Two weeks before Local 12s scheduled 2017 officer elections, AFGE National put the local into trusteeship, appointing the candidates running against Bastanis team to lead the union instead (Wagner, 2017). Use of union funds or property for acts of violence. family or group, or a subject with a felony criminal history in a union. .table thead th {background-color:#f1f1f1;color:#222;} https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/21/ice-officers-demand-freedom-afl-cio-over-mismanage/, Dinan, S. (2022b, August 11). AFGE accounts for more than 1-in-10 federal criminal union corruption convictions over the past decade. Is there evidence that corroborates Kabirs claim that he told Jacque Simon about Coxs alleged abuse, and Simon told him to ignore it? Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit, Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower, Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower. Schemes involving bribery, extortion, deprivation of union rights by violence, and embezzlement used by early racketeers are still employed to abuse the power of unions. AFGE represents two-thirds of unionized federal employees (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, n.d.). Office of Inspector General - U.S. Department of Labor [24] The complaint also accused AFGE of supporting politicians who sought to abolish ICE and disparaged ICE employees. Union leaders like John L. Lewis, Walter Reuther, George Meany, and Jimmy Hoffa were well-known national figures. UAW moves to expel those convicted in federal probe - The Detroit News The Department of Labors Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) details many of these convictions: Michael Oldham, former president of AFGE Local 1900 (Taunton, Massachusetts), pleaded guilty on April 13, 2022, to 26 counts of wire fraud for $35,900 in checks written from the unions bank account, one count of false statements for filing a false LM-3 report, and three counts of filing false tax returns in the amount of $233,970 (, Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2022d, Donnell Owens, former secretary to the Communications Director of the AFGE National Union, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2021, to embezzling $275,524 from the union (, Office of Labor-Management Standards, 2022e, Michael Wood, former treasurer of AFGE Local 3957 (Grant, Louisiana), pleaded guilty to criminal forgery. 2023 CNBC LLC. When the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Councila subordinate AFGE organizationasked the Labor Department to investigate AFGE's corruption the parent union responded by dissolving the ICE Council. The hotel wanted Cox to leave immediately. The investigators further reported that: Witnesses reported multiple incidents of Cox talking about soliciting sex workers and/or being asked to procure a sex worker for him We learned through multiple sources of an incident in which Cox allegedly propositioned a member of hotel staff, and hotel management expressed concern to their contacts at AFGE Multiple witnesses described hearing Cox use racial and religious slurs (, The investigators also found that Cox would bring AFGE officials to and conduct union business at strip clubs (, ). Union members2021. [8] 35 of the 64 AFGE convictions were current or former presidents of AFGE union locals, 23 were current or former secretary-treasurers (the second highest ranking officer in AFGE locals), and the balance were lower-ranking AFGE officers or employees. #block-googletagmanagerheader .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } From penny-ante theft to multi-million dollar embezzlement schemes, labor leaders continue to violate the trust of the members they claim to represent. 13, 2020). Office of Labor-Management Standards (2019, Mar. The only significant expansion in scope occurred with the passage of legislation that created similar access to union financial information for federal government workers and the addition of reporting requirements for financial institutions that made loans to unions.
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who investigates union corruption